Wednesday, May 22, 2013

A super nana gets to have super grandchildren and is the luckiest person in the world!

Welcome to my first blog entry!

"Super Nana Power" is about what makes it so special to be a nana and why it's the best thing to get to be, naturally taking into account others in this classification who are "Grandma" or "Vovo" or "Noni" or some other wonderful and equally special name. Here, since I am a nana, I will specifically address the super powers of nanas and perhaps learn more about the wide range of grandmotherly super powers while I share my own reflections and experiences.

It's important to add that while nanas have super powers, so do mommies and daddies and papas and other people you love, but sometimes it's nice to know that Nana has her own unique super powers, ones that are different than your other adults, not necessarily better, but definitely special.

Let's start with this introductory list:

They have lots of history inside their hearts and memories and can tap into it at any time. When they were little, they only had three black and white TV channels, and there was no such thing as cell phones or the Web. They only had one black telephone in their home, and it had a cord on it.

Nanas understand about needing someone to keep you company while you fall asleep. They even think it's a good way to spend time, to stay with you while you fall asleep.

They like all kinds of music and want you to "be exposed" to a wide variety of music. That means they hope you will like more than just one kind of music when you get bigger.

Creativity is important to nanas, and they will go to great lengths to make sure you have "creative experiences." That may include making crafts, going to art museums or attending music classes.

Nanas like to tell stories about when your parents were your age. Sometimes these stories are funny. Nanas had to learn how to be a mommy before they got to be a full-fledged nana!

If you ask what the most important thing is, you might hear only one word: "Love." Then you might get asked, or more likely whispered to, "What's the most important thing ever?" The correct answer is always "love."

You learn from your nana that it is important to appreciate your family history and to get a sense of "heritage." All that heritage stuff can include stories about your mommy's nana, your nana's mother, and your nana's nana, your great grandmother. Our family has a long line of nanas. It can get confusing, but someday it is supposed to all make sense.

They tell you about magic things such as making a wish when you get the special butterfly plate or wiggling your pinkie fingers to turn the light green when you're in the car. Sometimes this magic works. Just sometimes. But it's good to possess this arcane knowledge anyway.

A really good nana wants you to learn a lot of things besides just school stuff. A nana may refer to this super power as her "wisdom." She wants to pass it on to you, because she thinks it will help you have a better life and make your heart bigger.

A big heart is always an interesting thing for a nana with super powers. Having a big heart means you learn how to be kind, how to hug your sibling, how to appreciate each moment, how to give thanks for what you have and how to forgive. It also means learning to say "sorry" when you hurt a feeling or lose it for a few minutes.

Nanas have special traditions like always showing you a loveheart with her hands when you say good-bye or telling you "I'm so glad to see you!" every time you come to her house.

They enjoy reading books, telling stories, and they will even help you write stories and read books, because they like reading and writing so much.

One of the best nana super powers is secret recipes like how to make special holiday cookies that the other nanas before her made. If you are trustworthy, you get to learn this secret recipe too.

It is very nice to do something special for your nana since she gets super happy and really shows appreciation. Then she wears what you gave her or talks about your present, and you totally know that you picked out something perfect just for her! That makes your heart feel good.

I could go on, but helping hearts feel good is the best super nana power in my opinion, but I'll discuss others and share examples in days to come. Perhaps you'd like to add to the list by making a comment.

Blog Archive

Is SuperNana real?

I stand on a bridge of grandmotherly love with my mother and grandmother, both of whom were “nanas.” Their powerful love underscores my own as exemplary of how to unconditionally care for grandchildren. In my entire life, in all the roles I have played, in all my travels, in all my learning, nothing has been so meaningful and instructive as that of “nana.” I embrace this role and identify, and with that I hope to share views from that personal perspective.